Van De Pol more than just petroleum

STOCKTON - Gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, racing gas, lubricants for all types of vehicles and equipment are the stock and trade of Van De Pol Enterprises Inc.

Reed Fujii

STOCKTON - Gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, racing gas, lubricants for all types of vehicles and equipment are the stock and trade of Van De Pol Enterprises Inc.

"We are a fuels and lubricants distributor," said David Atwater, partner and general manager. "Our customers are mom-and-pop gas stations, agriculture, quick lubes, auto dealers, government - everybody who buys petroleum products are our customers."

Together with its sister company and Fuel Delivery Services Inc., Van De Pol operates out of offices near Stockton Metropolitan Airport that include a storage warehouse for products in barrels, buckets and cases, a lubricant tank farm and a large truck maintenance shop.

Combined revenues for the current year could come in between $300 million and $400 million depending on the swing of oil prices, Atwater said.

Van De Pol is really the combination of two family-owned petroleum companies that merged in 1993.

With their long history in Stockton, the company principals are committed to the city. That is evidenced by the headquarters facility completed in 2004 on South Airport Way and adjoining land acquired for a potential expansion.

"We wouldn't have made the tremendous investment we made unless we thought Stockton wasn't a great place," Atwater said.

But there's more to the business than just business, he emphasized.

"We pride ourselves on being an extremely ethical and moral business, to a fault," he said.

And there's a deep community connection. Van De Pol supports area nonprofit groups, with a wall of plaques documenting its participation in various programs and events.

And besides the oil tanks and pumps and diesel trucks, there is a well-appointed employee break room - which on a recent morning offered fresh-baked muffins - and an outdoor barbecue patio for company events.

"We're in it for the benefit of our customer and our co-workers," Atwater said. "We work to live; we don't live to work."